a guide onoonnon trafficking of womenof women · 2014-09-03 · “recruitment” is making the...

Advice for victims of human trafficking

Proposals to organizations who offer help to victims

Advice given by women who were, themselves, victims of human trafficking

A Guide A Guide A Guide A Guide onononon Trafficking Trafficking Trafficking Trafficking of Womenof Womenof Womenof Women

Coordination:

Helga Flamtermesky

[email protected]

Further information:

Proyecto Mujer Frontera

[email protected]

www.mujerfrontera.org

Illustrations:

Mónica Lignelli

http://www.monicalignelli.com

Voluntary translation provided by:

PerMondo http://www.mondo-lingua.org/

Translators: Jack Levy and Michael Wilkinson

Barcelona 2013

This document may be freely distributed

www.mujerfrontera.org A Guide to the Trafficking of Women

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This guide is part of the international project, Mujer

Frontera (‘Border Woman’), which was launched in 2008

with the aim of empowering immigrant women who have

been victims of human trafficking.

The main objectives of the Mujer Frontera/ Border Woman

project are: To establish victims of trafficking as members

of society with the ability to consider and to act. To make

sure that their considerations and proposals are registered

by social and institutional initiatives that work to prevent

trafficking and to help its victims. It also seeks to assist and

support other victims of trafficking.

This guide is based on the experiences and obligations of

the women both during, and following, their trafficking.

Putting this guide together has been a long, emotionally

taxing process.

The women who have contributed are from Colombia,

Brazil, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Mexico, El Salvador,

Argentina, Romania, the Philippines, Senegal, Bolivia,

Morocco and the Dominican Republic. It is founded on

their experiences and proposals as victims of human

trafficking in North America, Europe and Asia.

We would like to thank Helga for the careful and patient

work she has carried out from Barcelona, translating and

weaving together what each of us, from different countries

and cultures, and in different languages, have said.


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CONTENTS:

1. WHAT IS TRAFFICKING IN WOMEN?

Forms of trafficking

How does it begin?

Most commonly-used methods of trafficking

women

How women are controlled during their capture

How to come out?

2. ADVICE FOR POTENTIAL VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING

How to avoid it

How do you know if you are a victim?

If you become a victim

Escape strategies

The rescue

How to find help

If you want to press charges

3. HOW TO CARE FOR A VICTIM

Why are we giving advice?

Identifying a victim

About the interview

The needs of the victim


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• We believe that the trafficking of women is SLAVERY. To dominate, control,

exploit or subjugate women or girls.

• Our experiences as victims are related to immigration, what is known as

international trafficking or external trafficking. In these cases, the victims of

trafficking have been abducted or deceived either in their home country,

on the journey across borders, or having already arrived in the foreign

country. They are threatened, controlled or isolated, becoming enslaved,

sold, or exchanged for goods such as drugs and weapons.

:

• Article 3, paragraph (a) of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish

Trafficking in Persons defines Trafficking in Persons as: the recruitment,

transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the

threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of

deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the

giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a

person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation.

Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution

of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services,

slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.

• We are delighted that such a broad definition exists today, and we hope

that it continues to be revised and deepened. Even so, we believe that the

above definition ought not to be accepted word for word, as happens in

many countries that maintain that trafficking only occurs in the given order

(recruitment, transportation, transfer). However, this approach makes

identifying victims more difficult for authorities and excludes victims from

situation that they are, in reality, suffering.

THE DEFINITION PROPOSED BY THE U.N.


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• When a woman or girl is forced into prostitution or appearing in

pornography, in public or private places.

• When women are transferred to a place in order to be raped. For example,

in zones of armed conflict or illegal immigration routes.

• When a women or girl is married without her consent, either as part of a

deal to pay off a debt or to restore her family’s damaged honour.

• When a woman marries a foreigner and lives in conditions of slavery,

violence and isolation. Generally, contact is initiated over the internet,

through a marriage agency, or because the woman has paid to marry the

man to acquire citizenship in that country.

• When a woman is enslaved in order to have parts of her body removed and

sold against her will (blood, liver, kidney, ova, tissues, etc.)

• We have decided to include in this section: when a woman is raped and

impregnated, in order for the child to be removed and sold.

• Forced labour under conditions of slavery is characterised by violent and

inhuman living or working conditions. Workers are paid nothing or very

little. Work is generally domestic, factory, field or mining work.

• We also include forced begging, where a woman is forced to beg on

another’s behalf, and more often than not, made to steal or sell drugs.

Sexual Sexual Sexual Sexual ExploitationExploitationExploitationExploitation

Forced and/or Servile MarriageForced and/or Servile MarriageForced and/or Servile MarriageForced and/or Servile Marriage

Removal of Organs Removal of Organs Removal of Organs Removal of Organs

Forced Labour Under Conditions of SlaveryForced Labour Under Conditions of SlaveryForced Labour Under Conditions of SlaveryForced Labour Under Conditions of Slavery


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Against their will: through abduction, or when the woman or girl is sold by

her own family. Potentially through a kidnapping situation in which the

victim herself must pay for “freedom". In these cases, women are generally

unaware of the location they have been taken to.

When the woman is looking to immigrate: in these cases, women are

deceived by empty promises about work, the destination or about living

and working conditions.

• The aim of the traffickers is to select potential candidates to immigrate and

carry out a particular job abroad

• Adverts are placed in the press, around neighborhoods, in universities etc.

In most cases, traffickers use names of recruitment agencies for domestic

work, marriage agencies or modeling agencies. One of the characteristics of

“recruitment” is making the women believe that they were “selected".

• In warzones, the word "recruit" is associated with convincing people to

become part of a military regime, but when the recruitment is forced or

carried out under threat by a mediator, we would also consider this

trafficking, given that its objective is to enslave.

To contact a woman and offer her work in another country. A loan is

commonly offered for the processes involved, including travel. Captors will

make contact with women in places such as airports, nightclubs, schools or

beauty contests, etc.

RecruitmentRecruitmentRecruitmentRecruitment::::

EnticementEnticementEnticementEnticement::::


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Of course, we recognize that deception is a constant in each of the stages

of trafficking, and it is used to conceal the non-existence of, or truth about:

the destination, job, working conditions, living conditions, “promised love”,

or the period that the woman must serve to pay off her debt to the

traffickers.

In our view, deception has two stages: the initial lie on the part of the

captors, and the moment we realised we had been tricked.

Consent is when the woman permits or accepts what the captors propose

to her, either before of during her trafficking. This consent is false, being a

result of deception, or in some cases, forced by threats, violence or the use

of drugs.

• Women are deprived of their liberty, isolated in places where they do not

know the language, forbidden to speak, or what they say to others is

controlled by the traffickers; for example, on the phone. What they do is

also controlled, or they are forced to consume alcohol or take drugs.

Captors use physical or psychological pressure to evoke fear and create

doubts in the victim’s mind, in order to prevent them from seeking help.

• Threats are the most commonly used weapon against captives. Traffickers

threaten to harm, or kill the families, women or girls with whom they live

whilst enslaved.

• They are stripped of their passport, return flight ticket and money. In many

cases, they are given false documentation, which adds to their fears

through feeling forced to commit a crime.

DeceptionDeceptionDeceptionDeception::::

ConsentConsentConsentConsent::::


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The police and/or an NGO will carry out rescues. When rescued, captives

are given medical attention, legal services and the possibility of returning to

their home country, depending on the country in which the rescue takes

place.

One of the main risks involved arises when the rescue is part of a police raid

to find illegal immigrants. In this case, the captive may be sent to a prison

for immigrants until proven a victim of trafficking. Here, victims may be re-

enslaved, since, in most cases, they are imprisoned alongside their captors.

WARNING: this situation is becoming more and more common and must be

reported.

For many victims, run away is the only option. Especially for those living in

forced marriages and working in households under conditions of slavery.

Escaping may involve placing one’s life at risk, searching for help, and in

many cases, keeping the ordeal a secret.

Abandoning the victim in front of, or in police stations, hospitals and

consulates is a practice that traffickers use to make sure that the woman is

deported; especially in countries where she will be forced to return to her

country of origin.

The Rescue:The Rescue:The Rescue:The Rescue:

Being AbandonedBeing AbandonedBeing AbandonedBeing Abandoned::::

EscapeEscapeEscapeEscape::::


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ADVICE FOR POTENTIAL

VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING

Dear woman,

If you are worried about trafficking…now is

the time to put an end to it. Or perhaps you

are going through it now. We want to be

there for you and encourage you to find your

way out, to leave it behind you, as each of us

did. It is not easy, but it can be done!

Although you may feel very weak, if you feel

anything, do not let the light inside you go

out. Let it drive you, and believe in yourself.

Having been through it, we want to tell you

to never give up fighting for your freedom.

You can get out, and you will be able to

rebuild your life. Use your intelligence, your

wisdom, your patience and your creativity.

We want nothing more than for our advice,

based on our own experiences, to help you.

We will be the light to guide you down this

dark path…

Women of Border WomanWomen of Border WomanWomen of Border WomanWomen of Border Woman


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If you have been offered the chance to move to another country, you must

first make sure:

• That they are not tricking you with job or marriage offers that seem like a

dream, but could potentially be your worst nightmare.

• If they offer you a passport, other false documentation or a different

identity, you are one step away from falling into the trap.

• If they propose a trip that is “kept a secret” from your family or if they tell

you not to tell anyone else, do not trust them. You may well be in contact

with someone who belongs to a trafficking network. Be careful; these

people often come across as very kind and friendly in order to be

convincing.

• If you find yourself financially indebted to strangers, who suggest that you

pay it off by working abroad – be careful! Ask for written confirmation of

the working conditions, interest on the debt and the exact way in which it

will be repaid.

• Be most careful if you already know that they are deceiving you, and you

think you are more astute than your captors, thinking you can deceive

them. You may be putting your life at risk!

• We advise that you make photocopies of your documents (passport, ID,

tickets and travel cards) and if possible, save a photo of the person who is

“helping you” with the move. Send them all to your own email address and

to avoid suspicions if they ever open your mail, write a prayer or a long

poem with the important information included at the end; that is, names of

people you have spoken to, agreed meeting places and point of arrival.

Leave photocopies of these documents with someone you trust.

• Just in case, memorise the phone number and the address of your country’s

embassy or consulate closest to where you think you will be living. If there

is not one nearby, look for the embassy of a country that speaks your own

language.

Before travellingBefore travellingBefore travellingBefore travelling::::


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• Search for information about organisations and services that exist for

woman or for immigrants in the country where you will be living.

• On a small piece of paper, write down emergency addresses and telephone

numbers in case you need help. Cover it with laminate or in a plastic folder

so it does not smudge or tear. Hide it in the clothes that you are thinking of

wearing for the journey. Do not forget to bring foreign currency so you are

able to make calls.

• If you are going to a country where you cannot speak the language, or the

script is different to your own, memorise the words for “fear”, “help”,

“kidnap” and “human trafficking” in the foreign language, and keep them

written on a piece of paper.

The first sign is that you feel that you are being enslaved or kidnapped. Other

warning signs include:

� They confiscate your passport and other documents

� They force you to use a false identity (someone else’s passport or ID)

� They force to you work or to do something you DO NOT want to do, or

they put your life at risk

� They threaten you or people close to you so you do what they ask, or so

you do not speak

� They submit you to physical violence or psychological pressure (beating,

rape, starvation, intimidation, etc…)

� They have you confined

� You have no access to means of communication

� They force you to live in conditions of squalor; for example, you sleep on

the same floor that you work on. They drug you, or you work without

rest or pay

Signs Signs Signs Signs that you are a victim of trafficking:that you are a victim of trafficking:that you are a victim of trafficking:that you are a victim of trafficking:


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� They monitor everything you do or say - you are always accompanied

when you go out, someone is always listening to, or influencing what you

say on the phone etc.

� They force to you do a different job than the one you were originally

offered

� They force you to travel

� You married someone in another country, but you feel that your husband

or his family are oppressive or they abuse you

� They are exploiting your body for organ trafficking, pornography, drug or

weapon smuggling etc.

� Remember: the main warning signs are force, threats and control!

The captor is the person who sells, deceives or enslaves you. It may be

someone from you family, someone who lives locally, a stranger, a friend or

someone you married and live with abroad. Or indeed, anyone you have

paid to take you from one country to another. Remember the word

“captor”, and if there are more than one of them, “human trafficking

network”.

It is not only important to be alert before you travel. Sometimes the ordeal

begins during the journey, or after you have arrived. What is essential is

that you react quickly!

To react and to make decisions that may help you escape, you must

calculate the risks and the opportunities. The weather, the time of day, if

you are in a public or private space, the situation, the culture, the

language…all of this must be taken into account when attempting to

escape, to ask for help, to speak, to shout or to be silent.

Who is your captor?Who is your captor?Who is your captor?Who is your captor?


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If you feel pressured, threatened or deceived during your journey, make

the most of the airports or marine ports to escape or ask for help. You can

do this in your country of departure, whilst taking a connection, or when

you arrive. Do whatever you can to escape unnoticed, or if the

circumstances allow, try to speak to immigration police or flight attendants,

write the word “help” on your hand and show it to them, or pretend to pass

out. The most important thing is to attract attention and to be able to

speak. If the traffickers are with you when you ask for help, shout or explain

that you cannot be left alone with them. Once you have started to ask for

help, do not stop. If you stop because you are being threatened or feel

scared, you may be risking your life.

When you arrive at your destination, two things may happen: You realise

that you have been tricked and you are a victim of trafficking. Or, in your

search for work in the country you have moved to, you fall into the hands

of people who make you a victim of the trade.

Sometimes it is difficult to identify yourself as a victim when you are living

in a foreign country, where you are aware of racism, classism, misogyny

and discrimination against immigrants. It is therefore important that you

recognise that you are a victim of trafficking so that you can react and look

for help in the right place, as your life is in danger.

• You must take good care of yourself (eat and sleep) in order to have

enough strength for the day you escape or the day you are rescued.

• If they hit you, protect your head. Try to make sure that there is always a

blanket, cushions, cardboard or pan lid by your side, which you could use

to soften the impact of the blow.

• See that your captor eats a lot so that he feels tired or moves slowly.

Protect yourself, take care of yourself:Protect yourself, take care of yourself:Protect yourself, take care of yourself:Protect yourself, take care of yourself:

During the journeyDuring the journeyDuring the journeyDuring the journey: : : :

When you arriveWhen you arriveWhen you arriveWhen you arrive: : : :

Realising you are a victim:Realising you are a victim:Realising you are a victim:Realising you are a victim:


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• Hide objects that could be used to harm you.

• Use all of your creativity to defend yourself.

• Shout, ask for help. Someone may hear you. Or act like a ghost; no-one

can see or hear you.

• Try to regain control of your life. It is normal that you feel different,

perhaps weak. Do not let it get to you and make decisions with

conviction.

For most victims of trafficking, the only way to put an end to their slavery is

by escaping. Most of us ran away, using a variety of strategies. The

following advice is to give you strength in your decision to escape and to

remind you that you are not alone:

Getting ready to flee:

• Prepare yourself mentally: remember that you are a brave, creative and

astute woman.

• You must be very observant: take note of everything, every place, where

you live and where you spend time. Pay attention to the day to day

movements and timetables of the person, or people who you live with.

Identify the time when these people are most tired, busiest, or sleeping.

• Find your passport and hide it. Or tear out the page with your information

on. Fold it several times so that it can be hidden in your clothes or shoes. If

you were given false documents, DO NOT use them.

• Hide some money. A safe place is the inside of your clothes, where you can

sew or tie on a small plastic bag to hold the money and the documents. You

can also hide them in your hair.

• If you can, pack a small bag with clothes, documents and water, then hide it

until the day of your escape.


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• If you have a camera phone, take pictures of the place, of the people or of

any document that contains the names of the captors and the address to

which you were confined. This information will be useful if you wish to

make a report.

• Choose a place to go to, think about how to get there. You have to get to

somewhere official; for example, a consulate, police station, church or

hospital. In this way, you will not feel lost and you will be able to ask for

help more quickly. If you doubt yourself at any point during the escape then

you are losing time!

• Create a diversion when you escape: leave the bathroom door locked, a

bulge in the bed to make it look like you are sleeping, a pot bubbling on a

low flame…things that make it seem as though you are there. This way,

they will not notice your escape for longer.

• If you choose to escape in a crowded place (shopping centre, airport,

hospital etc.) create a distraction by pretending to pass out, or by shouting

for a doctor or the police. If you then look for a place to hide in order to

escape, do not hide in the bathroom, since this is the first place they will

look. Hide in an office, a shop, a changing room or a kitchen.

• When you escape, you do not know how long you will be in the same

clothes. Therefore, if you can plan ahead, wear shoes without high heels

(you can pretend to have a sore ankle if they force you to wear heels), and

clothes in which you would feel comfortable searching for help. Sometimes,

the way a woman is dressed can make her feel too ashamed to ask for help,

but remember that the priority is saving your life, so you must ask for help

regardless of how self-conscious you may feel.

Unfortunately, the chances of someone rescuing you are slim. Generally,

rescues are carried out in places of prostitution or places like factories,

workshops or farms where there may be people working illegally. Many

rescues take place when the police are inspecting workplaces or looking for

immigrants without a work permit. In this case, the police discover people

who are clearly enslaved (tied up, locked up), or someone asks for help,

explaining that they are a victim of trafficking. It is important that you take

advantage of these moments to ask for help.


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When someone is rescued, one of three things may happen:

1. They may be taken to a centre for attending to immigrants or victims of

trafficking, where they would have shelter, along with medical and

psychological assistance for a few days. If it is clear that they do not

understand your situation, request asylum; in this way, they will try to put

you in contact with other professionals who may better understand how

serious your situation is.

2. They may be held in a prison or in a centre to accommodate immigrants

until they are expelled from the country or deported. Warning! If this

happens, you must alert the officials that you are a victim of trafficking so

that they take you somewhere else and attend to you differently. It is also

common that they hold you until they can prove that you are truly a victim

of trafficking. Be patient during these interrogations! Often, they may treat

you first as a suspect, before identifying you as a victim.

3. They may be deported to their home country, or in the worst case scenario,

deported to another country. In cases like these, the person must strongly

insist that they are a victim of trafficking so that they have the choice

whether to return to their home country or not.

You can also try to bring about a rescue, by calling the police or your

country’s embassy. You could ask someone else to do it for you. If you are

confined with other people, we recommend that you make a call asking for

help (without giving your name) or call to report that there are victims of

kidnapping or underage workers where you are, so that the authorities are

alerted to the situation and are sent to investigate.

You must have the address of where you live, or at the very least, a

reference point, so that they can locate you. It can be very intimidating

when the police enter the property, so you will have be confident enough

to ask for help when they approach you.

In some countries there are services devoted to women who are abused by

their partner; you could also ask these for help or rescue.


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To break free, you need help to escape or to be rescued, as well as to avoid

falling back into the hands of those who captured you.

• Identify the people who can help you. If you do not trust anyone close-by,

do not risk it. It all depends on your situation.

• We believe it is important that you ask for help in busy places such as police

stations, hospitals, churches, schools, shopping centres, airports, etc.

According to where you are, we think it is essential that you are not alone

and that there are other people who can see that you are seeking help. If

you are afraid of explaining that you have been a victim of trafficking, say

instead that you have been kidnapped or that you are seriously ill.

• After asking for help in a safe place, try to have someone put you in contact

with your national embassy, the country’s social services or any

organisation would be able to help you, such as the Red Cross, Amnesty

International, International Organization for Migration (IOM), women’s

associations or any union.

• Never tell them the place where you were living in case they take you back.

Tell them instead that you do not know. Only tell them when you are sure

that you have been saved.

• If you are in a country where you cannot speak the language, do everything

in your power to communicate. For example, ask them to let you speak

using the internet; search for an online translator like

www.translate.google.com where what you write in English can be

translated into the local language, allowing others to read what you say.

• Use few words when asking for help. For example “I have been kidnapped”,

“they want to kill me”. With phrases like these, you will be able to attract

attention. Afterwards, you can explain what you have been through.

Remember that many people do not know what human trafficking is, so

when escaping, do not waste time explaining details that people may not

even understand. It is better to use words that make people react to your

situation.

• Concentrate on being direct and “to the point”. Do not tell your story to

anyone until you are sure that they can help you. Repeat again and again


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that you need help and in what form you need it; for example, contact with

the police, a doctor, your embassy, your family or an NGO

• If you decide not to tell anyone, find some company nonetheless so you do

not have to get over your ordeal alone. For example, go to a meeting place

for woman, immigrants etc.

• Once free from capture, you can press charges against your kidnappers

through the police or a lawyer. Filing a criminal complaint means starting a

long and sometimes painful legal process, as you will have to relive again

and again what happened, but it can be useful for you.

• Do not file a complaint if you feel that you are being obligated or forced to

do so. You have the right to reflect on the advantages and disadvantages

which making a criminal complaint will bring to your life.

• In many countries, help is only offered to victims who make a formal

complaint.

• You must have information about your captors or regarding the location

where you were held. It is therefore important that you have and

remember a lot of information.

• When you make a complaint, as well as being a victim, it is possible that

you will be called upon to stand as a witness.

• Once a complaint is filed, attention will become focused on capturing and

bringing the captor or network to justice, and as a consequence, you will

feel that your needs and security are no longer their priority. You must

therefore make sure that neither they nor you are forgotten about, what

is most important is your wellbeing.

• Do not hesitate to ask for assistance to fulfill your basic needs such as

recovering from physical injuries, detoxing from drug addiction, eating


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properly and having access to comfortable clothes and toiletries. It is also

important to remain accompanied and not be isolated.

• You can stop the criminal proceedings of your complaint if you feel

threatened or unprotected.

• When you ask for help and make a complaint, it is possible that you will be

advised to tell your story in front of other people, and through various

means of communication. Take time to think about this before acting, as it

can have even more effect on your psychological state and the process of

rebuilding your social life, and in return, you can be making money for

others who will sell your story. We believe that it is important that many

stories come out in public, but we also wish to draw attention to the risks

and damage which they can cause to some victims.


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Through our experiences as victims, we can see that the fight against

human trafficking is not being made effectively, and that resources for

attending to victims are scarce. The good intentions expressed by countries

in the international sphere and through the media are of little use when

there are no resources or effective, concrete action is being taken to take

care of victims of trafficking. We want to incorporate their voice into the

global dialogue surrounding trafficking and women.

Our recommendations are a call to attention to professionals who have

developed guidelines, protocols, policies and recommendations regarding

trafficking, especially relating to the care of victims of trafficking, those who

have imagined victims rather than communicate in open dialogue with

them, and with those who provide care for them, in order to have a real

understanding of their needs. We believe that the result of

recommendations based on an imagined victim result in policies which are

difficult to implement, and which are ineffective in practice.

These recommendations are aimed at two groups:

1. People and organizations which work in finding, caring for and protecting

possible victims of trafficking.

2. People that work or collaborate in places where victims can come to seek

help, such as hospitals, churches, immigrant groups, community centres,

women’s shelters, schools, etc. We have identified that these places are

where victims will come asking implicitly or explicitly for help, which can be

problematic when these places do not understand the issues of trafficking,

and can therefore be difficult for them to identify it, or they are unaware of

the support that exists for these cases.

Our training efforts need to be extended to these two groups.

We hope that our recommendations will be understood as an effort to

invite people to become further aware of the victims of trafficking, and the

particular circumstances that each person may have.


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In order to be able to identify a victim, one must avoid the idea that each

victim will be the same as others, or that they will always appear badly

dressed, bruised and silent.

There are three situations which determine the way one can identify a

victim and how to speak with her:

In general, this means that the woman was not prepared to ask for help,

and it will be difficult to identify her as a victim. You will need to have

more time to start to speak. After a rescue the person is in a state of shock

caused by fear and tension, most of all when she ignores what will happen

to her after the rescue.

When the rescue takes place during a political action or a workplace

inspection which shows indications of trafficking having taken place, it is

necessary to isolate the presumed bosses in order to be able to question

the women if they are there voluntarily, or if they need help to leave the

place.

After identifying them, we suggest that they are left to collect their

belongings so that they don’t feel that they are being taken out as

criminals. They should also be given time to change clothes if they are

wearing work uniforms or are semi-nude.

If they are directly asked if they are victims of trafficking, it is possible that

a response will not be given, since the word is not well known. We suggest

that they are asked if they feel kidnapped or enslaved.

After a rescue of a number of people, it is important to be aware that they

may be a level of mistrust amongst them. This attitude will determine

what they say as well as their attitude to the police and professionals

offering help.

1.1.1.1. If If If If sheshesheshe hahahahassss been rescuedbeen rescuedbeen rescuedbeen rescued:


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When a group has been rescued together, there will always be one person

who feels more victimized that the others, or one who is judged harshly or

rejected by the others. For this reason, we recommend that the first

interactions with them be done individually.

We wish to draw attention to the negative consequences which can arise

from the mis-identification of a victim, as in these circumstances the

person can be detained or deported. We have also noted that the chances

of falling back into the control of their captors is high.

If women are found in a place have been beaten or drugged, it is likely

that they are slaves, but will also definitely be paralyzed by fear and the

effects of drugs, and will not be capable of asking for help or responding

to questions.

Remember that silence or the fear of talking much can be an indicator that

a woman is drugged, and therefore answering questions correctly will be

impossible. In this case, please give them time, or look for answers from

other indications.

Before removing a rescued woman, please make sure that there are no

children of theirs in the place that would be separated from them, and in

great danger.

The physical signs of violence, extreme tiredness, malnutrition or lack of

cleanliness can lead to the identification of a victim. We advise that the

women are asked about where they sleep, eat and bathe, as generally

with victims of trafficking, they sleep, eat and work in the same place.

It is difficult to rescue women when they suffer from particular forms of

trafficking such as forced marital servitude, domestic labour as part of

slavery etc, which take place in private spaces such as within the ‘family

home.’ For this reason it is important to find a way of reaching potential

victims in these spaces.

A woman who has escaped on her own has needed to call upon her own

bravery and intelligence, and has survived thanks to her creativity. For this

reason, conversing with her will be different from cases where a woman

2.2.2.2. If she has If she has If she has If she has escaped:escaped:escaped:escaped:


24

has been rescued. Her attitude can reflect the feeling that she is taking

back control of her life and wants to participate in the decisions which

affect her. However, even women in this position will be fearful and

harbour feelings of fragility.

We want these feelings of bravery and self-determination by victims to be

recognized attitudes, as occasionally it is recommended that scepticism is

shown towards victims that act in a controlling or overconfident way. We

are against the encouragement of the idea of a ‘perfect victim’ who acts

according to the ideas and assumed needs of institutions which offer aid

(such as when someone needs to cry, to speak or keep silent.)

Women that escape are afraid. Some cry, other clearly understand the

help they require, and some appear ‘absent’. The strength they have

needed to call upon to escape can give way to complex emotional and

physical reactions, such as anxiety, depression, euphoria, anger, etc...

Victims who escape try immediately to seek help or come to a place

without knowing what to say. Some can end up sleeping on the street

while trying to find someone who speaks their language.

The most common places where they go are: police stations, hospitals

(they often sit across from an office waiting for someone to ask them

something) churches, community centers, airports, ports, bus stations,

embassies. etc. Some also choose to ask for help from people on the

street, generally from women or immigrants.

Unfortunately, many people are unaware of trafficking. Even so, we have

witnessed the creativity which many people have shown to help women in

spite of ignoring the problem or the risks that they ran.

A victim is abandoned by their kidnapper when they are no longer of use to

them and they need to remove them from their territory. Generally, the

same captor will take her and leave her at an embassy or with the

immigration police, saying for example, that she is a thief or an

undocumented immigrant so that she will be locked up or deported.

3.3.3.3. IIIIf she has bf she has bf she has bf she has been abandoned by her kidnapper:een abandoned by her kidnapper:een abandoned by her kidnapper:een abandoned by her kidnapper:


25

When a victim is abandoned, she is frequently disorientated, drugged,

beaten or nude so that she doesn’t leave the place, humiliated and with her

self-esteem affected. They are unaware of how to ask for help, and are

afraid of being sent to jail.

Please, calm her down, explain to her she has been a victim of trafficking,

or slavery. Please don’t treat her like a delinquent, and give her the chance

to explain the conditions in which she was living so that you can identify the

conditions of trafficking.

The initial interview needs to be well thought out so as to better help the

woman physically and psychologically, and the woman should not be

coerced into making a denunciation.

• Assure the woman she is protected and will have a place to rest.

• Provide her with facilities to heal physical wounds.

• Give her something to eat and drink.

• Identify if the woman is in a state of shock or if she is drugged, showing

the symptoms of mental absence, and help her to become stable. If she

is interviewed before being stabilized, it is possible that she will confuse

things, or that she will later forget what she said in the interview.

• Have patience if the woman prefers to remain silent, cry or speak angrily,

wanting specific aid or making demands.

• Help her to identify urgent needs, and keep in mind that it can be difficult

for her to ask for help.

• Remember that the victim many not know the legal concepts to define

her situation. Be flexible with the concepts that you are both using.

Before beginning the interviewBefore beginning the interviewBefore beginning the interviewBefore beginning the interview::::

During the interviewDuring the interviewDuring the interviewDuring the interview::::


26

• Please do not create false hope in the woman in order to make her talk.

• Treat her like a possible victim and not a possible criminal.

• It is recommendable that the interview is conducted by women.

• Facilitate communication through a translator.

• Ensure that the first interview is only done once and do not put her under

pressure to explain her situation over and over again to different groups,

for example, the police, NGOs, with a doctor, a psychologist, a social

worker etc.

• Do not undertake an interview with the central focus of identifying the

kidnappers. Begin by asking about what she needs and how she feels.

• If a woman doesn’t want to deal with the police, put her in contact with

an organization that will serve a mediator to the police.

• If the woman shows symptoms of fear, consider the possibility that they

could be brought about by religious matters or magic, like Voodoo.

• When you speak to her, do not use the word victim much, try to find

alternative words which speak to her experience. (When were you

captured? During your abduction or mistreatment, were you abused?)

We find that this allows the woman to focus on what was done to her

and not feel trapped in the word ‘victim’. When a woman is in the

process of retaking control of her life and the important decisions in her

life, the concept of victimhood can be a barrier to the healing process,

and time must be take for her to recognize this as it is.

• Recognize her positive characteristics and remind her of how brave she

has been.

• Use encouraging adjectives when referring to her, and negative ones for

her kidnappers. In this way she will not feel challenged.

• Some trafficked women do not want to be looked after by services

specializing in providing care to trafficking victims, as they feel there is a

social stigma attached to it in their communities. Therefore, they prefer

receive aid, for example, from services specializing in victims of domestic

abuse, or services for immigrants. For this reason, it is important that

there are links between different organizations that provide social care.


27

• The importance of honour in the cultures of many women must be taken

into account, and what this implies when they are talking or remaining

quiet. Honour should also be considered when designing help for people.

• Do not oblige her to make a criminal complaint.

• Explain the advantages and disadvantages of making a complaint.

• Victims can feel personally guilty for what has happened to them, and can

fear being brought to court as if they had committed a crime. This

perception is related to their conception of consent. For this reason it’s

important to explain to them that in cases of trafficking, consent is not

taken into account since they were forced or the result of deception.

• Offer them alternatives to making a criminal complaint.

• Some fears which can affect their decision to make a complaint range

from fear of racial discrimination, religious beliefs, the fact that they are

women, or the fact that they are immigrants.

• The ‘time for reflection’ exists in some countries and allows the woman at

least a month in which to make their decision to make a criminal

complaint. We consider this to be a useful process and should be applied

in all countries.

• Offering aid should not be held on the condition that a criminal complaint

is made. We disagree with the practice of some countries which deport

or forcibly remove victims who do not want to press charges against

their captors. In the case of trafficking, returning people to their

countries should be on a voluntary basis, and not forced.

• Allow the victim to see the use of a criminal complaint not as a form of

revenge, but rather a way to find justice and regain their rights.

Pressing chargesPressing chargesPressing chargesPressing charges::::


28

Victims have both immediate as well as long-term needs. It is important to

offer initial help, but also help her begin to imagine a better future,

something which is essential for their recovery.

• Offer protection so that her kidnappers will not find her again, or bring

harm to their family.

• Offer housing, medical attention, psychological and spiritual help.

• Help them to get a form of identification, a passport of their country of

origin, a residence or work permit in the country they live in.

• The victim needs to feel that the justice system is acting to help her,

which will help her to recover her sense of identity as a citizen. She must

also feel solidarity with other people to regain her trust in other people.

• People and organizations offering help need to allow victims to take

control of their own lives, permitting them to participate in making

decisions and do not force certain behaviours upon them.

• Finding work is a priority.

• Women prefer to explain what happened to them, rather than answer

questions. If you see that a woman is willing to talk, take the opportunity

to begin a dialogue, and do not force her to go into greater detail

regarding points which are more important to you that to her. Identify

appropriate moments to have an interview or to begin a dialogue.

• Victims need to regain trust. Help her to feel comfortable with herself

and where she lives. She must be able to dress as she likes and decorate

her spaces how she feels is best.

• Victims need to think positively, and will often need to be shown

affection, however, do not treat her like as a child, but as a woman.

• Humor and spirituality help to heal wounds.


29

• An urgent need for victims as well as those who have not escaped from

trafficking is finding information on what to do and when to go in the

city where they find themselves. We find that many awareness

campaigns are not focused on informing people about trafficking, but

on publicity for the organization who is ‘creating awareness’.

• It is important to spread information creatively and in different places.

It is also necessary that the media becomes aware of the issues of the

trafficking of women, its many forms, and the help which exists for its

victims.


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“A tree which falls,

makes more noise

than a growing forest!”

We would like to thank the artist Mónica

Lignelli for the images she has given us to use

in this guide. Mónica is an Argentine artist

living in Spain, and is involved in the fight to

stop violence against women, and their

empowerment through art.

http://www.monicalignelli.com

The English translation has been possible

thanks to the PerMondo project: Free

translation of website and documents for non-

profit organisations. A project managed

by Mondo Agit.

http://www.mondo-lingua.org

Special thanks to the translators

Jack Levy and Michael Wilkinson for your

time and commitment.

Acknowledgements

This space is to insert the logo of the organization

or institution that decides to further print this

guide (again, please inform us in case you are

interested in further distributing this guide).

This Guide is available online on our website

www.mujerfrontera.com in English, Spanish and

French. Please feel free to translate it to any other

language (and please keep us informed if you do).

a guide onoonnon trafficking of womenof women · 2014-09-03 · “recruitment” is making the...

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